You called your credit card company because you wanted to know why your interest rate has increased, and all Mandy, the customer-service rep, wants to do is read from a corporate script trying to sell you insurance.

Your patience with Mandy is wearing thin. You begin to wonder: Who is this woman and how can you get her to actually help you?

While Mandy might remain a mystery, preparing for your call to a customer-service rep, sticking to your goals, controlling your temper and understanding how the sales process works can help you get the assistance you need, say customer-service representatives, sales experts and consumer advocates.

Young or just clueless
It might help to remember who you're talking to. Mandy could be a temp, and she may be just out of high school.

If so, she won't be at the job for long, so the fact that she can't answer your questions doesn't bother her much.

"I've spoken to customer-service representatives who are 17 years old," says Scott Bilker of DebtSmart.com, and author of "Talk Your Way Out of Credit Card Debt."

"It's a high-turnover industry," says Ramon Avila, marketing professor at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., and the founding director of the H.H. Gregg Center for Professional Selling. "As a person at the end of the phone, you get beat up a lot. Why would you want to stay there?"

Probably not for the pay. A recent search on Monster.com reveals that Discover is hiring representatives in Phoenix at a "minimum of $9.56 and a maximum of $10.52" per hour.

An inexperienced representative may not be your only problem.

"The comment we receive most often is that there are language barriers," says Michele Johnson of Consumer Credit Counseling of Nevada. "The customer-service folks don't necessarily speak proficient English. I think that's because so many centers are now in India. Our clients sometimes have trouble understanding what's requested."

Beyond that, she says, she hears a lot about "lengthy wait times and folks who seem less than eager to assist."

Be friendly and make small talk
Don't forget your manners when you call, customer representatives say.

"Try to use their first name," says Kerri F. in Kansas City, a former representative and call-center supervisor with 20 years of experience working for major card companies and department-store cards.

"Say 'Hi Mandy,' and try to establish a rapport," she says. The worst thing a caller can do is "treat them like some kind of lackey." Sweetness wins every time, says Kerri. "These people, even in collections, they don't want to be rude. If people are mad or rude when they first call in, that sets the tone for the whole call. Realize that it's the situation, and not the representative."

"In general, you want to stay away from attacking them personally," says Bilker.

Kevin Abbott of Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Des Moines tells consumers to stay calm, no matter what. "Take a deep breath. Explain the situation. Don't let them get the best of you," he says. "Sometimes customer service can be cold."